Mets 15 Diamondbacks 2

Finally, Pedro got a win. For a while there, it looked like he might go two months without one.

The Mets scored enough runs that it didn’t matter, but Pedro, for the second straight contest, did not look like Pedro. He did not have his command — again — and as a result threw way too many pitches. The third inning, in particular, was nerve-wracking, as Pedro went 3-2 to pitcher Russ Ortiz before walking him, and then gave up a single to Craig Counsell. Even without his good stuff, Pedro worked out of it, getting Jeff DaVanon to pop up and whiffing Luis Gonzalez.

By the end of the fifth, Pedro had thrown 91 pitches, and the Metties were up 13-1, so his early departure was no big deal. Hopefully, though, he’ll get back on track in time for the Orioles series.

Notes

Fresh off the heels of being named one-half of the Mets’ second base platoon, Chris Woodward had another big day with the bat, going 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI. He’s batting .300 on the year and it looks like he’s finally going to get a well-deserved chance to play semi-regularly. Though I don’t envision him as an everyday player, I think he’ll perform very well in his new, more regular role. That is, until the Mets bring in Jose Vidro …

Carlos Beltran is hot like the equator. He had two more hits, four RBI, and three runs scored. He’s batting .297 and currently earning every penny of his many-million-dollar salary.

Two Carloses for the price of one: Carlos Delgado is not only out of his slump, he’s hitting like a man on a mission. Three for four with two doubles, two runs scored, three RBI and a walk. With the Carloses and David Wright hitting the way they are, no one has even noticed the absence of Cliff Floyd from the lineup. And once Floyd gets back, there won’t be any pressure on him to mash … meaning he’ll be relaxed and likely another monster to deal with.

Speaking of walks, it was great to see Jose Reyes walk three times today. He now has 26 walks in 60 games; last year, he had 27 walks in 160.

It seemed like everyone hit the ball in this game … even Julio Franco and newcomer Eli Marrero had hits. And Endy Chavez had two hits, two walks, and scored all four times.

Even Heath Bell was allowed to enter the game. All it took was a thirteen-run lead for Willie to feel comfortable putting him on the mound. Who knows, we may see him in seven- or eight-run games before July!

Mets are off Monday, and on their way to Philadelphia for a three game set. The Phillies are coming off a thrashing put to them by the Nationals, who three of four from them over the weekend. After that it is off to Cincinnati, who lost three of four to the Cubs. If timing is indeed everything, the Mets are facing these teams at the perfect times. We’ll know about a week from now.

Mets 5 Diamondbacks 0

If you missed the first inning, you pretty much missed the game.

For the fourth straight night, the Mets batters came charging out of the chute, scoring a quick three runs in the first frame. Carlos Beltran remains red hot, nearly blasting another home run but settling for a double smashed off the wall. And guess who — David Wright — had another run-scoring single. To complete the tri-fecta, the still-hot Jose Valentin poked a run-scoring double off the left-field wall to give Alay Soler a three-run cushion as he took the mound in the bottom of the first.

And Soler was super, cruising through nine shutout innings on 108 pitches, giving up only two hits. Just a week ago, this same Arizona team knocked Alay around for eight hits and seven runs in five innings.

Ah, but this is not the same Arizona team. These Diamondbacks are minus one player, a nondescript mopup reliever named Jason Grimsley. And therefore they are plus one huge black cloud hovering over the team. Though the D’Backs players would likely say that the Grimsley situation is not affecting them, there is no question that the team is playing much differently since Grimsley’s house was raided by federal agents. And the timing couldn’t be better for the Mets, who are in the midst of perhaps their most difficult road trip — and three-week stretch — of the year. With trips to Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Baltimore up next, and a series each against Toronto, Boston, and the Yankees looming, the Mets can use all the help they can get right now. Luckily, the stars are currently aligned in their favor, and perhaps they can use these big wins as momentum going into the next two tough weeks.

Notes

Alay Soler really looks like he could be a good-hitting pitcher. Whether he ever actually gets his second big-league hit, though, remains to be seen.

Jose Reyes continues to have an uncanny ability to drive in runs from the leadoff spot; he knocked in Endy Chavez with two outs in the top of the ninth to provide an insurance run. Combined with his evolving home-run power, one must think that he’ll have at least one Joe Morgan-type, monster, MVP season at some point in his future. (As much as I hate Joe Morgan the broadcaster, you have to give the man credit as a ballplayer; he was hands-down one of the best all-around second basemen to ever play the game. Too bad he isn’t the quietest.)

Once again I have to praise Paul LoDuca, and again say that he has done an outstanding job of replacing Mike what’s-his-name. LoDuca does it all, but most importantly, makes a difference behind the plate. He was like a cat pouncing on a bunt and throwing out the speedy Orlando Hudson at third early in the game, and continued to show his mobility by stopping a number of pitches in the dirt that likely would have gotten by other catchers. And then there’s the part that no one really notices, because it’s nearly impossible to see: his ability to call a game. Since Alay Soler has only pitched in four big-league games, and has no knowledge of NL hitters, he must rely on LoDuca’s mental library and trust his ability to call a game. LoDuca’s contribution in this regard cannot be ignored; in fact, he should share the heroics in this remarkable pitching performance.

Mets 10 Diamondbacks 6

The Mets scored early and they scored late. Rick Down should be a happy, content, secure man right now.

This was a big win, as tomorrow the Mets have to face Brandon Webb, and we know the Mets’ issues with pitchers named Brandon. For a team who was supposed to be concerned with the toughest road trip of the year, they’re sure doing OK.

Steve Trachsel’s Jekyll and Hyde routine has been going on his entire career; one night he’s throwing seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball, the next start he can’t get out of the second inning. Tonight, he was given a comfortable, early lead, which was extended to a very comfortable lead. Yet still, he walked six batters in five and one-third, exhausting over 100 pitches in the process. You really have to wonder what is going on in the head of a Major League pitcher who is walking the world when he is up by five or six runs. Throw the ball over the f#$%&ing plate ! I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Trachsel pitches just well enough to lose. In other words, he’s externally motivated, and his level of intensity and quality are dependent upon the conditions around him. If Mark Mulder throws eight innings of shutout ball, he’ll turn it up a notch and give up one run in seven innings; if the Mets give him a five-run lead, he’ll find a way to give up four. He’s been this way his entire career, and ain’t nuthin’ changin’ anytime soon.

Carlos Beltran remains a man on fire … as does David Wright. If these two guys keep banging balls over the fence in the first inning, this is going to be a smooth season. Beltran hits them out early and hits them out late, and when he hits them, there’s no question: they are bombs. The biggest difference I see between this year and last is his patience and pitch selection. Last year, with the pressure of the contract on his shoulders, he seemed to press, and he definitely was over-aggressive, swinging at pitches early in the count and often out of the strike zone. My guess is that he felt he had to carry the team, and swung at pitches he otherwise would let go, thinking that if he didn’t get the big hit, no one else would. This year, it’s much different: Cliff Floyd came into 2006 after a career-year 2005; David Wright blossomed as a star, and is becoming a superstar; and of course, Carlos Delgado—one of the most feared batters in MLB—hits right behind him (anyone notice a correlation between these boppers and the killer B’s he hit in front of in Houston?). This year, Beltran lets a lot of pitches go by, preferring to take his hacks at the pitches HE likes, rather than the pitcher’s pitch. The results have been outstanding: Beltran is on course to hit almost 50 home runs and drive in over 120 RBI this year. Oh, and look: his average is slowly creeping toward .300.

BTW, Beltran still rarely smiles, and his facial hair still sucks, but his English is 100% better than last year.

Interesting stat: David Wright has zero home runs when batting with runners in scoring position (29 of his 42 RBI have come with RISP). That’s a great indication of a guy who knows how to drive in runs: with men on, he obviously cuts his swing down and simply tries to put the ball into the outfield.

It’s official: Carlos Delgado is back. In addition to the fact that he is now making solid contact, he is driving the ball to dead-center and the opposite field, a clear indication that he is waiting on the ball and hitting the way he’s supposed to. That’s scary news for opposing pitchers, who have their hands full with Wright and Beltran. When Cliff Floyd comes back and starts banging, this will be one deadly lineup.

Hey, even without Floyd, the Mets currently have the best lineup in New York !

Aaron Heilman’s arm angle is still too low. And I noticed him shaking his arm after releasing the ball, something I never noticed before. I really hope I’m wrong about his mechanics being off. If I’m correct, I want Rick Peterson hanged, Mr. Willie shot, and Omar executed by Chinese water torture.

And speaking of bullpen arms falling off, Dirty Duaner held the fort but not before walking two people. It’s becoming more apparent that Mr. Willie has already destroyed his bullpen.

By the way, it was very cool to see Pedro giving Dirty advice and tips in the dugout during the top of the ninth. The jacket eventually came by and gave his peace as well.

Ron Darling, when talking about complete games and the old days, said that when he first got to the Mets, he looked at the back of a Mel Stottlemyre baseball card and was amazed that he had “31, 28, 29 … complete games, year in and year out …” Um, Ronnie, first of all, a Topps card from the 1960s probably didn’t list complete games, and secondly, Mel completed more than 20 games only once in his career (24, in 1969). That’s OK, we got the drift of your point … but stop talking out of your ass !

Sad to see Kaz go, but I’m also happy because he will get a fresh start in Colorado. After two years of throwing things at the TV and cursing out Mets management for being so stupid to sign Matsui, I had a completely different outlook in 2006, and found myself pulling for him. He was a guy who hit rock bottom in New York — and you can’t fall much further than that — yet still came back with a smile, working hard, acknowledging his poor performance, and trying his best to make good. There’s something to be said about a man who can go as far down as he did, in the spotlight of NYC, and still fight back. I wish him the best of luck in Colorado, and expect to see good things from him out there.

Mets 7 Diamondbacks 1

I didn’t think I’d see it in my lifetime (OK, I didn’t think I’d see it in 2006): a complete game by a New York Mets pitcher.

El Duque was magnificent, not only with the quality of his pitches but the efficiency of his pitches; he shut out the D’Backs through the first six innings on only 66 pitches, then extended it through eight innings on 98 pitches. Perhaps he had a chat with the master of efficiency, Pedro Martinez. His slow bender was spotted for strikes all night, as batters let it drop in or waved weakly at it.

Other than El Duque, there wasn’t a whole lot of excitement, at least, not after the third inning, when the Mets bursted out of the gate with four runs. Hernandez threw lots of strikes, the Mets made great plays in the field, and it was overall a very solid, well-played game: the kind of boring win that the Atlanta Braves used to pile up routinely in years past. It was a nice break from all the cardiac comebacks of the last few weeks.

Notes

Carlos Beltran is beginning to earn his big contract. He blasted a homer in the third, stole a base, and glided effortlessly from first to third twice in the game. He does it all, and he does it with a remarkable silence; it seems like all his damage is done early in games, and then you forget how the Mets got the lead.

Jose Valentin is LOCKED IN. He’s hitting hard line drives all over the place, driving in runs, and forcing my foot so far down my throat that my pinky toe is tickling my tonsils.

Endy Chavez poked two weak singles that generated three RBI. He may not hit for much power, but he puts the bat on the ball, and that’s all you have to do when there’s a runner on third.

Lastings Milledge ripped a double down the third base line early in the game, and though he didn’t get another hit in the game, he continued to hit the ball hard (though right at people); I believe the term is “frozen rope”. This kid’s hands are lightning, and the ball explodes off his bat. If he ever learns to trust his hands, and go to right field once in a while, he will win a batting title; his raw skills are that good. It will be frightening to think of the Mets lineup two or three years from now, with he, Reyes, and Wright starting things off.

BTW: Ninth inning, seven-nothing lead: why is Jose Valentin playing second base? Explain, please ? Do we not have a superior second baseman named Kaz Matsui, who is rotting on the bench?

Mets 9 Dodgers 7

This was a win the Mets needed. They have entered the most grueling road trip of the season, and to start it off with a series win is vital to positive momentum the rest of the way through.

The Mets exploded for four runs in the first inning, as Odalis Perez looked as though he was pitching batting practice. Armed with a rare lead as he toed the runner in the bottom of the first, Tommy Glavine promptly gave up a leadoff homer to Rafael Furcal. Though he settled down quickly and got out of the first frame without any more damage, the second inning was another story, as he gave up another homer to Furcal and four runs total, thereby eliminating the original lead.

In the fourth inning, the Mets scored two runs to pull ahead again, and again Glavine gave up a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, this time to Jose Cruz, Jr., to allow the Dodgers within one. However, Glavine eventually pulled himself together, and kept the Mets ahead before exiting in the sixth.

Once again, the Mets showed gumption and tenacity in continuing to fight back. Though the Dodgers have a similar record, the Mets look like the better of the two clubs. If Pedro didn’t have such a poor outing, this easily could have been a sweep. At the same time, the Dodgers’ youngsters look great; it’s nice to see LA going back to the old formula of using their top young talent at the ML level — a formula which served them so well going back to the 1970s and 80s. This is a team to be reckoned with now and through the next five years at least.

Notes

It’s official: Lastings Milledge has arrived. Xavier Nady, please pack your bags; you’re on your way somewhere in return for an arm. Milledge has proven that he can hit big-league pitching, and his play in the outfield is outstanding. In addition to his remarkable assist nailing Nomar in the eighth, he also got to several balls in a hurry earlier in the game, keeping runners from considering extra bases.

For someone who hasn’t lost confidence in Kaz Matsui, and who asserted that Matsui hadn’t lost his job (well, until he announced Stache as the starter), it sure seemed strange that Willie Randolph refrained from writing Matsui’s name when penning the starting lineup in this game. With the lefty Perez starting, Mr. Willie opted to go with Jose “Stone Hand Luke” Valentin at 2B and lefthanded-hitting Endy Chavez in RF. Strange. Randolph usually follows the lefty-righty thing as if it were a federal law, and here was an opportunity to give Kaz a start at second, put Valentin in the outfield, and not only have an extra righthanded / switch-hitting bat in the lineup, but match up a little stronger defensively in the infield. If Kaz isn’t starting in this situation, in what kind of game will he? This was a clear indictment that Matsui is finished as a starter, and I’m not understanding it. Just when Kaz looked like he was on the way back, playing excellent defense, and making good contact, he’s sent to the dumpster. Though I’ll admit he wasn’t hitting very well in RISP situations, in the last five games he started, he was hitting bullets all over the field, right at people. It was only a matter of time before the balls started dropping. Relegated to pinch-hitting duties, he may never find his stroke again.

Jae Seo not only took Duaner Sanchez’s place in the Dodger bullpen, he took his glasses, too. Interestingly, Seo sports the eyewear on the mound but not at the plate.

Speaking of Sanchez, something does not look right about him. I’m not sure if it’s overthrowing, or an inconsistent release point, but he does not look like he did in April and the early part of May. I wonder if he is suffering from a sore or strained arm, and is trying to use his hips and legs more to propel the pitch. He also has a different look on his face: it’s almost fear. Rather than throwing pitches with conviction, he appears to be releasing the ball and hoping it goes to the right place. He had way more confidence at the beginning of the season.

Gosh it’s nice to have Billy Wagner closing games … even though he’s blown a few, there is such a strong feeling that the game is over when he enters … something we never felt with Braden Looper last year.

I am absolutely certain that Nomar Garciaparra’s honker is bigger than Jose Valentin’s … though I’m trying to figure out whether Jose’s stache makes it appear smaller or larger than it really is.a

Dodgers 8 Mets 5

The Mets had Dodger starter Derek Lowe on the ropes in the second inning, but only managed two runs. He was laboring in the heat, his face beet red and hair soaked with sweat, and was having a helluva time throwing strikes. In fact, when the TV camera showed close-ups of him, it looked as though he was about to have a heart attack. (One wonders if he was actually experiencing cardiac arrest, or possibly had overdosed on greenies or caffeine.) His condition likely had something to do with the heat, maybe more to do with the 12-pitch sequence to Lastings Milledge, which culminated in a sacrifice fly — a great effort and an encouraging at-bat by the rookie.

Instead of smelling the kill and finishing him off, the Mets let him off the hook. After Milledge’s excellent at-bat, Pedro Martinez struck out on three pitches, but Chris Woodward worked an easy walk as Lowe was gasping for air, had fear on his face, and was having a very difficult time throwing strikes. However, the usually savvy Paul LoDuca swung at the first pitch thrown to him and grounded out meekly on a low sinker. Why he was swinging I’m not sure; I understand that there was a runner on second and it’s good to be aggressive in that situation, but Lowe was clearly sucking wind and just aiming the ball, hoping it would find the strike zone. Had LoDuca taken the first few pitches, he may have worked another walk or received a meatball on a silver platter. Of course, it’s just speculation, but Lowe was a wounded animal at that point, ready for the kill, and the Mets couldn’t put him away.

Pedro Martinez, who had been magnificent but without a win in his last six starts, did not have it this evening. His velocity barely topped out at 91, which usually isn’t a big deal except that his command was way off. Even still, he was getting outs with his guile, and the game had a good feel to it: it felt like Pedro was going to battle through, somehow, and the Mets were just about to bust out on Lowe.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way, as the wheels came off in the top of the sixth. Pedro started off the inning by giving up a leadoff single to J.D. Drew, a homerun by rookie Matt Kemp, and a single by Willy Aybar. However, it looked like Pedro was going to pull out of it, as he induced Ramon Martinez to ground into a tailor-made double play to David Wright. Unfortunately, Jose Valentin was not playing the role of tailor, and allowed Wright’s throw to bounce off his glove and into centerfield. Later, in the 8th, Valentin let a ground ball pass by that some other second basemen might have had, and on the next pitch failed to cover first in time on a sacrifice bunt handled by Carlos Delgado. Jose had been looking great at second base over the last week and a half, but ineptitude today was unsettling to say the least, as his miscues led to at least four, possibly five, Dodger runs.

Willie Randolph, by the way, continues to make remarkably stupid moves with the pitching staff, and really must get this ludicrous lefty-righty matchup thing out of his head. After ripping a single on an 0-2 pitch in his first at-bat, then mashing a homerun against Pedro in his first at-bat in the sixth, rookie Kemp was given another opportunity to do damage as Heath Bell was instructed to walk lefty J.D. Drew and instead face Kemp. As it turned out, Bell struck him out, but me not being the Monday-morning quarterback, still say it was a bad move. I’m almost never a proponent of the intentional walk, and I certainly don’t like the idea of walkng a guy who has just homered in the last 15 minutes off of a future Hall-of-Famer. Baseball is more about confidence and momentum than lefty-righty matchups, and in my opinion Willie was tempting fate by choosing to face Kemp again.

Poor Heath. Willie has designated him as the garbage pitcher, and allows him into games only once every ten days, and only when there are runners all over the bases, with the top of the lineup hitting, and the only possibility of being successful is by striking everyone out. The problem is, Bell is very much like David Weathers: he throws lots of strikes and challenges the batter to hit the ball. His outs come on fly balls, and he will tend to give up a lot of hits, especially when he’s not sharp. And it’s hard to be sharp when you’re pitching twice a month. Unlike the long leashes given to starters such as Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez, I get the feeling that Bell’s job is on the line every time he’s run out there — and he may feel the same way. I’ll not be surprised if Willie sends him to Norfolk this week and brings up one of the Mets’ latest acquisitions: Dave Williams or Mike Adams. As much as I love Heath Bell, and want to see him succeed in Shea, it looks more and more like he’ll only succeed after a change in scenery. His situation is similar, though a little worse, than Dan Wheeler’s, and I would expect to see Bell become as effective as Wheeler at some point in the future.

Notes

Carlos Delgado is out of his slump, and here’s why: in the last few games, he’s waiting a lot longer on pitches, and as a result is showing exceptional judgment. This evening he walked twice after falling behind on the count, letting several close pitches go by. With his lightning hands, he can afford to wait a bit, and his slump had a lot to do with being “too quick”. As long as he continues to sit back and wait on pitches, he’ll continue to be a monster.

Jose Valentin had his chance to make up for the two errors in the sixth when he batted with one out and men on first and third in the seventh. All he needed to do was lift a fly ball to the outfield to drive in the runner from third, but instead he popped out to the infield. Oh well.

Though Lastings Milledge has thus far been impressive, he could learn a bit from Delgado’s recent approach. Milledge has hand speed like no one in baseball this side of Gary Sheffield, but he judges pitches way too early. In his at-bat in the seventh, he struck out on a breaking pitch that was about six feet away from him, and a good foot and a half off the plate and in the dirt. Eventually, he should learn to trust his hands on wait longer, and that should come with experience. However, it bothers me that he pulls everything, and seems never to go to right field. That’s one thing that you would hope he’d learn while in the minors, but he likely won’t as long as he’s up in the bigs. Hopefully, someone on the coaching staff is paying attention and will get him to work on going the other way. Too often, with a player of his raw talent, coaches will avoid teaching a player something like that, the theory being “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, or fearing that making him go the other way will somehow rob him of potential home run power.

In the eighth, with Chris Woodward on first and two out, Carlos Beltran watched the same exact pitch — a 75 MPH curveball on the outside corner — go by three times in a row for strikes. Same pitch, same speed, same location, and after it being called for a strike the first two times, Beltran seemed surprised on the third. Not sure why.

Rubber match pits Tom Glavine vs. Odalis Perez. The Mets may be without Jose Reyes, Cliff Floyd, and possibly even Carlos Beltran.

Mets 4 Dodgers 1

After the tough series against the Giants, then no day off and a plane trip to the West Coast, I thought for sure the Mets would come into Dodger Stadium sluggish and groggy. Add to it the fact that Alay Soler was starting, and could very well be facing his last ML start after two unremarkable outings, and things were really looking bad for the Mets.

Thankfully, Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run, Carlos Delgado followed with a two-run shot just a few minutes later, and the Mets never looked back. Alay Soler was magnificent through seven innings, allowing only one run (on a homerun) on six hits and one walk, and struck out seven. Perhaps more importantly, by pitching through the seventh, he gave the Mets’ grossly overworked bullpen a gasp of air. If this is the real Alay Soler, the Mets might not have to worry about making any lopsided deals at the deadline for a veteran arm.

Notes

Carlos Beltran had another two hits and a walk, and his batting average is slowly creeping up; it’s now in the .270s. Just a week ago he was under .250, yet still among the NL leaders in slugging and OPS.

Carlos Delgado seems to be working his way out of his slump, with two hits including a homer today. Good thing, too, as the Mets have entered perhaps the most difficult part of their season.

Jose Reyes was called out on strikes in the top of the sixth, and had some choice words for home plate umpire Larry Vanover. It was a strike (sorry, Jose), but Reyes continued to jaw on his way back to the dugout. Vanover jawed back, and told Jose to get back in the dugout. Sorry, but I don’t care what Reyes said; Vanover needs to close his ears and shut his trap. True, Reyes was in the wrong, and shouldn’t have shown up the ump. But, Vanover, like all umpires, has two choices: either run the arguing player out of the game, or ignore him. It is completely unprofessional, and asinine, to retort to a player who is walking away. (If the player gets in his face, that’s another story.) In most cases, the player is simply blowing off steam, and any ump who chooses to argue back is showing a lack of confidence in the call he just made. The ump’s job is to make the call, not defend it. If the player says something foul, then the ump should either run him right there, or look away from the player while voicing a warning. Today’s bush-league umps are too demonstrative, and too wrapped up in trying to confirm their presence the fans and the cameras. They need to remember that nobody cares who they are; there isn’t even a place on the scorecard to write their names. The old-school umps had no problem maintaining order, and earning respect, while remaining nondescript.

Lastings Milledge had another two hits and an RBI. Omar Minaya claimed the reason Lastings was promoted to the big club was because he wanted to see where Milledge was in his development; kind of like a litmus test. Well, if his first six games are any indication, Milledge is for real. While he often looks overmatched or completely fooled on some pitches, he somehow is able to learn from his mistakes and come right back with good solid swings — sometimes in the same at-bat. His presence has not been a detriment in any way, and in fact he seems to be providing something of a spark, with his aggressive style and exuberance. I don’t think anyone has missed Xavier Nady yet. Which begs the question: if he continues to provide a Lastings impression, what happens when Nady returns? It’s a question I hope we need to grapple with about ten days from now; it would be a nice problem. (Can anyone see Nady going to a team that needs a bat in return for an arm?)

Mr. Willie brought in the LOOGY, Pedro Feliciano (again), in the bottom of the eighth because there were lefthanded hitters due up. Interestingly enough, the LOOGY gave up two hits to the batters he’s paid to get out — lefties Kenny Lofton and J.D. Drew — and retired the two righthanded batters he faced. (ROOGY Chad Bradford, however, did his job and retired RH hitter Olmedo Saenz.)

Tomorrow night is Pedro vs. Derek Lowe. Considering the Mets’ struggles with sinkerballers such as Brandon Webb, and the fact they can’t seem to hit for Pedro, I’m a little worried about this contest. But that’s what makes watching so much fun!